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Artes Medical Names Karon J. Morell as Vice President, Regulatory and Quality Affairs |
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SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 11, 2007--Artes Medical, Inc. (Nasdaq:ARTE), a medical technology company whose product ArteFill(R) is the first and only FDA-approved non-resorbable injectable dermal filler for the correction of nasolabial fold or "smile line" wrinkles, today announced that Karon J. Morell is joining the Company as its new Vice President, Regulatory and Quality Affairs. Ms. Morell will report to Artes Medical's President and Chief Executive Officer, Diane S. Goostree, and will have responsibility for all regulatory activities, quality assurance, quality control and quality engineering functions. She will be the primary liaison with Regulatory authorities worldwide. "Karon has significant experience in leading teams responsible for regulatory strategies and quality systems related to medical devices," said Ms. Goostree. "Her expertise will be quite valuable to Artes Medical as we continue to enhance our manufacturing processes and quality systems, and we work with the FDA regarding additional ArteFill clinical studies." Ms. Morell has over 25 years experience in the
regulatory and quality assurance of medical device and manufacturing
companies. Her experience includes all facets of the quality disciplines and
setting up quality systems domestically and internationally. Prior to joining
Artes Medical, she served as Vice President,
Quality Assurance and Regulatory Affairs at IsoTis OrthoBiologics, a company
that specializes in the research, development and manufacturing of bone
grafts. Prior to IsoTis, she served as Vice
President, Quality and Regulatory Affairs at Medegen MMS, a company that specializes in Class I &
II devices for intravascular solutions. Previously, Ms. Morell
held senior regulatory, quality and compliance positions at Nobel Biocare USA, Cardiac Science, Inc., and Newport Medical
Instruments. Ms. Morell received her B.A. in
Business Management from Southern California University in About ArteFill(R) ArteFill is the first and only FDA-approved non-resorbable injectable dermal filler for the correction of wrinkles known as smile lines or nasolabial folds. The unique microspheres in ArteFill are not absorbed by the body and therefore provide the first-of-its-kind permanent support for long-lasting wrinkle correction in one to two treatments. ArteFill was approved by the FDA in October 2006 based on data from the Company's 12 month controlled, randomized, double-masked, multi-center U.S. clinical trial, which compared outcomes for patients treated with ArteFill with those of patients treated with the leading bovine collagen-based filler. At the six month evaluation, which was the primary efficacy evaluation period for the clinical trial, the wrinkle correction in patients treated with ArteFill persisted and showed statistically significant improvement compared to the wrinkle correction in the patients treated with the collagen control, who returned to their pretreatment status. The ArteFill patients were also evaluated one year after treatment, demonstrating continued safety and wrinkle correction. An ArteFill Skin Test is required before initial treatment. The most common adverse events associated with ArteFill treatment, similar to those observed with other dermal fillers, are lumpiness, persistent swelling or redness and increased sensitivity at the injection site. ArteFill is a proprietary formulation comprised
of polymethylmethacrylate, or PMMA, microspheres and bovine collagen, and is the only
PMMA-based injectable product that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of facial
wrinkles. Artes Medical is the sole manufacturer of
ArteFill, which is only available in the About Artes Medical, Inc. Artes Medical is a medical technology company focused on developing, manufacturing and commercializing a new category of aesthetic injectable products for the dermatology and plastic surgery markets. The Company's initial product, ArteFill(R), is being marketed to men and women as a treatment option for the correction of nasolabial folds. Additional information about Artes Medical and ArteFill is available at www.artesmedical.com and www.artefill.com. Forward-Looking Statements This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are based on the Company's current beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to its management. Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the Company's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. As a result of these risks, uncertainties and other factors, which include the Company's history of net losses, its reliance on its sole FDA-approved product, ArteFill, its limited experience in commercializing ArteFill, its ability to receive FDA approval to claim that the aesthetic benefits of ArteFill extend beyond six months and delays in the market acceptance of ArteFill, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements included in this press release. A more extensive set of risks and uncertainties is set forth in the Company's SEC filings available at www.sec.gov. These forward-looking statements represent beliefs and assumptions only as of the date of this news release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements publicly, even if new information becomes available in the future. Artes Medical(R) and ArteFill(R) are registered trademarks of Artes Medical, Inc. CONTACT: Artes Medical, Inc. SOURCE: Artes Medical, Inc. |
© 2007 Artes Medical, Inc.